Analysis: Boy Characters In Boy's Literacy
The perfect book for boys has to contain a main character that is relevant to their lives. Boy’s literacy must have a boy for the main character in order to effectively engage young readers. Boys' want to read books where they will maintain interest because of adventure, action, suspense, heroics and humor. There are currently three unique books that have successfully been recognized as boy’s literacy. All three books encompass three different genres, yet all have the same target audience – young boys!
The first book is called The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter. Ritter writes about a young boy named Tom who loves baseball. He lives in a small town called Dillontown that is filled with interesting characters that also play baseball with him on his team. He finds out the mayor of the city wants to sell the baseball field his grandfather owns. His grandfather agrees to sell the land to the mayor for city expansion only if Tom’s baseball team loses in a baseball game against the south Dillontown all-stars team. The story develops the game inning by inning until the end of the game when Tom, the worst player, and his team get some good hits to win as the underdogs! They get to keep the baseball field, yet at the moment of victory, Tom’s grandfather dies of a heart attack. The baseball field is now in the hands of Tom as he decides to keep the sport alive forever in Dillontown. This book is instantly relatable to boys who play sports (especially baseball). Sports stories depict trials and tribulations which relate to the things young athletes experience when learning how to play. Young boys can relate to the main character because he is honest, energetic, and loyal to his friends and the sport of baseball. This book helps young boys to identify their need for confidence and courage, while always regarding relationship with family and friends very important over selfish desires.
The second book is called Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinner. This book is very sensible because it is about a kid named Greg who goes to school and expresses all of the thoughts and topics he has while going to school. Humor is illustrated throughout the book! Boys love comedy because it is funny and entertaining. There is something unique about silly jokes and forbidden topics like bathroom and hygiene comedy that spark incredible interest in young boys. It seems to come natural to them, and in this book, Greg naturally writes jokes as if he was writing to the reader himself. The entire book has a story about friendship, but it is memorable for illustrations about Greg’s daily events in his life from school to his home. The picture of an innocent young boy who thinks all the normal things young boys think of is apparent within the character development. Jeff Kinney does a remarkable job at showing how boys will always be boys, yet he does it through literature in order to make a connection between boys and books.
The last book is called Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter series is very famous among all youth genders, but the main character is very important to identify as a positive male archetype. In this episode, the young reader engages into another world of sorcery and wizard magic. Nevertheless, Harry faces danger unlike any other experiences he has encountered. His life is threatened and he journeys on an adventure to save his life and his friends. Young boys should identify with the Harry Potter character as a model of leadership. The story really expresses Harry as a boy of incredible courage filled with emotions. Seeing the emotional side of Harry depicts his realism in situations that are fearful and dangerous. Books containing adventure always attract young boys. The more thrilling the book, the more excitement there is for boys. This book, however, contains not only adventure but fantasy and mystery. Fantasy is not something boys dream about everyday, but the exploration of imaginary lands like Hogwarts stimulate their mind and creativity. Mystery is important because it makes the young boys wonder what will happen next. Boys love books filled with mystery because they are puzzling and enchanting. Boys like to search for things and find answers.
Authors need to continue writing about boy characters so young boys will read books. Young boys need to have read about characters they can relate to as in these three unique books. Themes such as sports, humor, adventure, fantasy and mystery are great reads for young boys to develop literary individuality.
Sources
Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New York, NY: Amulet Books, 2007. Print.
Ritter, John H. The Boy Who Saved Baseball. New York, NY: Puffin Books, 2005. Print.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2000. Print.
